Looks like a lot of these tablets are following Apple's lead in not providing easy external storage (SD cards and/or USB slots for flash). I refuse to buy any device that locks you into limited storage such that you have to rely on Cloud. 16GB for base models is just a total joke if you want to store video on it. Guess I'll just stick to old school laptops...

Looks like a lot of these tablets are following Apple's lead in not providing easy external storage (SD cards and/or USB slots for flash). I refuse to buy any device that locks you into limited storage such that you have to rely on Cloud. 16GB for base models is just a total joke if you want to store video on it. Guess I'll just stick to old school laptops...

You can always attach a flash drive to the USB port. You just need to get the proper USB adapter. With a small adapter that goes to a female USB port. And a tiny USB flash drive, it doesn't take up much space. Of course there is also cloud storage too. As long as you have a fast enough internet connection.

You can always attach a flash drive to the USB port. You just need to get the proper USB adapter. With a small adapter that goes to a female USB port. And a tiny USB flash drive, it doesn't take up much space. Of course there is also cloud storage too. As long as you have a fast enough internet connection.

I'm pretty sure you can plug a kindle into a pc and it will show up as a mass storage device. You can copy content to and from it. I'm also sure this is one of the things that android owners see as an advantage (no need for itunes). For all I know there is a way to stream your videos from a pc to the kindle via wifi, itunes allows this and is actually pretty good at it so I guess Android will have its equivalent. Plus you don't have to buy a model with low RAM if you don't want one. All moot when Stream support finally arrives because you can stream direct from tivo.

I'm pretty sure you can plug a kindle into a pc and it will show up as a mass storage device. You can copy content to and from it. I'm also sure this is one of the things that android owners see as an advantage (no need for itunes). For all I know there is a way to stream your videos from a pc to the kindle via wifi, itunes allows this and is actually pretty good at it so I guess Android will have its equivalent. Plus you don't have to buy a model with low RAM if you don't want one. All moot when Stream support finally arrives because you can stream direct from tivo.

But with the stream you can also send the file to the tablet for vieiwng later right? I hope so because this is the only reason I picked up a 32GB Nexus 7 instead of the 16GB version.

But with the stream you can also send the file to the tablet for vieiwng later right? I hope so because this is the only reason I picked up a 32GB Nexus 7 instead of the 16GB version.

Yes so that's my point. If you want to go on vacation and have say 20 shows transferred to your Kindle 32GB it not going to cut it either. Ideally you'd put the videos on 1 or more flash drives and the Kindle can then play them from the flash drives. If that indeed does work my interest in the Kindle would be much higher.

Yes so that's my point. If you want to go on vacation and have say 20 shows transferred to your Kindle 32GB it not going to cut it either. Ideally you'd put the videos on 1 or more flash drives and the Kindle can then play them from the flash drives. If that indeed does work my interest in the Kindle would be much higher.

You can easily fit 20 shows using the Stream on a 32gb kindle. Doesn't sound like a very fun vacation though but each to his own.

I've got a 90 minute show on my phone right now and it's only 630mb for reference.

Just perfect. By then my chemo should be complete. Come on guys. As others are saying Androids are used by far more people than Iwhatever. Most people can't even afford Iwhatever. I am not a guru by any means. Any ideas as to how to easily transfer to my android? I'd love to be able to watch my shows while taking chemo.
Angela

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan203

As a phone OS that is true, but the Stream is aimed mainly at tablets not phones.

I've explained this before but there is actually a technical reason for the Android delay. The Stream uses a technology called encrypted HLS. Apple invented that technology so it is supported on all iOS devices. However Android did not add support for encrypted HLS until v4. And the only mass market tablets that use Android v4+ are the Kindle Fire HD and the Nexus, both of which weren't even released until late last year. So until like August of last year there wasn't even an Android tablet on the market capable of using a Stream. And actual mass market adoption of those tablets didn't happen until the holidays. So there was really no substantial market for an Android version of the Stream until about 2 months ago.

That being said a TiVo employee confirmed via this forum that they started work on a Android version back in November. A 6 month development cycle is typical for these sorts of things so I'm guessing we're looking at an April release date for Android support. Perhaps during that cable show where they announced the Stream hardware last year?

Apparently you've never been on a limited budget, your choices are down to two...and neither one gives you what you need because of corporate greed? And perhaps it's not being bitter but frustrated? JMO

Quote:

Originally Posted by button1066

So sorry you can't afford nice things but crying about it makes you look ridiculous. How anyone can be so bitter over consumer products is laughable.

Turn it around. If it were I*** just how bitter and angry would I*** etc. users be???? I think it would be even worse. Weird. No. Human. Yes. Let's chill out with the unfriendly comments. We just want solutions.

Absolutely! Said so well. Politics have completely infected us all. Right now there are no elections. But believe me there are commercials all over the place saying hateful things about people who do not deserve it. And it will only get worse. I don't know what the answer is...but sure wish there were one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austin Bike

Beats the hell out of me. I use iOS and android. I think people today are divided on everything. It's like our political process has infected all of our lives.

I pretty much use everything across a large network of devices. Everything is good for some functions and bad for others. Nothing is perfect.

I'm old enough to remember the original PC vs MAC "wars" when MAC was a totally closed device.. Apple software, hardware, everything through apple.

That Apple was able to sell the idea that "smart" people chose Apple because "it just works" was just brilliant. The "smart" people have been paying a premium for the Apple brand.. to show their "smarts".. or ability to pay a premium or whatever.. for a long time now.

That this "war" has moved onto Android vs IOS is perfectly understandable. But Apple has turned to Intel processors and COTS hardware all over the place and to, essentially, unix/linux in their OS.. none of it really invented by Apple. I bet most of the world believes Apple invented the tiny music player with the iPod.

I'm old enough to remember the original PC vs MAC "wars" when MAC was a totally closed device.. Apple software, hardware, everything through apple.

That Apple was able to sell the idea that "smart" people chose Apple because "it just works" was just brilliant. The "smart" people have been paying a premium for the Apple brand.. to show their "smarts".. or ability to pay a premium or whatever.. for a long time now.

That this "war" has moved onto Android vs IOS is perfectly understandable. But Apple has turned to Intel processors and COTS hardware all over the place and to, essentially, unix/linux in their OS.. none of it really invented by Apple. I bet most of the world believes Apple invented the tiny music player with the iPod.

As a new Tivo Roamio owner I want my Android Stream App now. I am so tired of being treated as a second class citizen by the "I" whatever snobs. Android now outsells Apple and we deserve and should demand better. I vote with my wallet so if they are waiting for me to buy an IOS device hell will freeze over. Everything Apple is over priced IMHO.

__________________
"The world is not really round it is full of Peaks & Valleys"
Dave F.

There are several articles linked to in this thread that explain why Android devices always come second. But basically it boils down to two things...

1) iOS is easier to develop for because there is less hardware fragmentation.
2) iOS users spend more money on accessories and apps.

Also when the Stream was developed 2+ years ago, iOS still had a pretty handy lead over Android here in the US. And if you looked at just tablets they had something like 80%. Android didn't make real inroads on the tablet side until the Nexus and Kindle Fires came out, and those were released about the same time as the Stream.

Now why it's taken them another 1.5 years to develop the Android version I have no idea. Obviously they've committed to the technology by putting inside the new Roamios.

As we've discussed before, that's the real head scratcher. If you committed to the technology so much that you NAMED your new hardware after the idea, it should not have taken you this long to get the app out cross-platform. Windows 8, desktop, windows phone, android, HTML5, any and all.

Well they're a little more limited then someone like Sling because whatever they use has to be approved by CableLabs. So I'm not sure all those platforms are really practical. In fact someone said that an inside source told them the holdup with Android is that CableLabs doesn't think the platform is secure and they're having to do extra work to lock down the recordings better.

Well they're a little more limited then someone like Sling because whatever they use has to be approved by CableLabs. So I'm not sure all those platforms are really practical. In fact someone said that an inside source told them the holdup with Android is that CableLabs doesn't think the platform is secure and they're having to do extra work to lock down the recordings better.

Browser support, Android, and iOS support should be the target platforms since that would include about 100% of the possible market.

I'm not sure I believe the CableLabs excuse. How are all the other Android streaming apps able to secure their platform? Comcast has an Android app (supporting streaming live channels on Android 2.2!), the major cable companies all do the same. Is there a distinction between what they are doing vs what Tivo is doing?

I'm not sure I believe the CableLabs excuse. How are all the other Android streaming apps able to secure their platform? Comcast has an Android app (supporting streaming live channels on Android 2.2!), the major cable companies all do the same. Is there a distinction between what they are doing vs what Tivo is doing?

Agreed. Cox has a similar "Contour" app that runs on iOS and Android as well. Of course CableLabs is the cable company consortium and they don't have to abide by the same restrictions they impose on TiVo.

Browser support, Android, and iOS support should be the target platforms since that would include about 100% of the possible market.

I'm not sure I believe the CableLabs excuse. How are all the other Android streaming apps able to secure their platform? Comcast has an Android app (supporting streaming live channels on Android 2.2!), the major cable companies all do the same. Is there a distinction between what they are doing vs what Tivo is doing?

For whatever reason TiVo chose to use encrypted HLS for the Stream. Whether that decision was influenced by CableLabs, the Stream hardware, or just a decision they made I'm not really sure. But they're kind of stuck with it now unless they do a complete overhaul.

HLS is supported on all versions of iOS. It's only supported on Android 4.0+ unless you use a 3rd party SDK, and not supported at all in Windows Metro without a 3rd party SDK. The only modern browser to support it natively is Safari, but it's supported by Flash so they could make it work in other browsers via the Flash plug-in.

But again I'm not sure how much oversight CableLabs has in this process. The CableCARD spec doesn't have provisions for any of this, so I assume TiVo has to get special approval to do it at all. With Mini streaming there is precedent, so they can just do a "me too" implementation. But AFAIK there are no other cable DVRs that allow you to stream to a mobile device either in or outside the home. There are cable companies with their own streaming or VOD apps, but those are likely treated differently through specific deals with the content providers.

Really the only other devices on the market that compete with the Stream are the offerings from Dish and DirecTV. And they both have no oversight other then whatever deals they make with their content partners. Heck Dish is actually being sued over their Slingbox stuff, so they apparently don't even have the deals they just did it and prepared to deal with the fall out.

Oh and the new HDHomeRun has this feature but it is an ATSC or clear QAM only device. If they come out with a CableCARD version and it supports all the platforms then I'll agree that CableLabs has no effect on this.

I'm old enough to remember the original PC vs MAC "wars" when MAC was a totally closed device.. Apple software, hardware, everything through apple.

That Apple was able to sell the idea that "smart" people chose Apple because "it just works" was just brilliant. The "smart" people have been paying a premium for the Apple brand.. to show their "smarts".. or ability to pay a premium or whatever.. for a long time now.

That this "war" has moved onto Android vs IOS is perfectly understandable. But Apple has turned to Intel processors and COTS hardware all over the place and to, essentially, unix/linux in their OS.. none of it really invented by Apple. I bet most of the world believes Apple invented the tiny music player with the iPod.

Amazing what Apple marketing has done.

Now give me my Android app for tivo dammit!

The whole "all of apple's success is due to marketing" trope is intellectually lazy.

Different people value different things. Just because someone chooses a different product than you do does not mean that they are just dupes of marketing. That's small-minded thinking.